Mad Dog Trotsky
Mad Dog Trotsky (狂犬トロッキー) is a gag work by Fujio Akatsuka and Fujio Pro, with writing by Kai Takizawa. It was serialized in Kodansha's Separate Edition Shonen Magazine. The art in early chapters was initially supplied by Akatsuka, but was provided by Akira Saito throughout the rest of the feature. Overview The pet dog Leon Trotsky experiences a daily abusive, oppressive life under his owners and the sickening power of humans. After a strike of lightning hits him one day after he's tied to the lightning rod of the house, he discovers that he can read and speak as humans would. Trotsky decides that it's time that dogs strike back against humans, and becomes the face of a revolution. However, his war against humans proves to not be as easy as he thinks... The manga is known for its strong radical leanings, inspired from both Communist history as well as Japan's own Yukio Mishima incident with a failed coup on the government. George Orwell's novel Animal Farm played heavily into its inspiration and the idea to set such a plot with animals. As with Animal Farm, there is considerable gore and bloodshed in the manga, particularly when Trotsky winds up imprisoned at a dog prison and witnesses other dogs being killed to become livestock feed. Ultimately, the manga ends with no real conclusion, with the story either having been dropped or Akatsuka deciding to go with the "open ending" format. Trotsky and Lenin are shown standing amongst disaster as a war brews from Trotsky's army vs. the army of his now-rival Stalin. Characters Leon Trotsky (レオン・トロッキー) Our protagonist, who has the mentality of an 18-year old radical young man within the body of a year-old dog. He goes through many struggles and twists within his journey, to the point where he even winds up back in his former abusive home for a brief point and back to being his defenseless self. However, after reuniting with his comrade Lenin, he is injected with more experimental medications to give him more strength, and becomes more empowered by fury and brutality than ever before. His name is taken from the Marxist revolutionary who was assassinated by an agent of Josef Stalin. Thus, it is only natural that Trotsky winds up having to face off against his own Stalin figure by the end of the manga, and declares "Damn it Stalin, I'll fight this out to the end!" Professor Goru Keruke (蹴毛豪留) Trotsky's abusive master, who callously beats and berates the dog. After Trotsky gains super-intelligence, he turns the tables on this man and expresses dominance, turning the house into a stronghold for his new rebellion. Still, he winds up drawn back into the path of this man, even returning back to his place only to be hurt again. This fuels Trotsky's further revenge against humanity, while this master becomes the slave to him and carries out the bombing of a dog pound to gain more troop members. Professor Keruke's Wife and Son Trotsky's other horrid owners, who act just as brutal and disrespectful to him on a constant basis. Once Trotsky manages to turn the tables on them through his second awakening, it is the two of them that are treated like miserable slaves. Stalin (スターリン) A comrade of Trotsky after he forms his Ground Self Defense Force. He is a spotted bulldog with a most curious mustache. Later on, the two wind up as opposing forces after Stalin is revealed to have established his own army of dogs as well as having married Trotsky's old lover Junko. By the time the story ends, there are two dog troops at war and casualties occurring on both ends. Lenin (レーニン) A black and yellow-colored dog of the group. He and Trotsky reunite later in the story, after a downtrodden Trotsky attempts to commit suicide on the railroad tracks. Marx (マルクス) A brown, rather bear-like dog, to where it must be pointed out in captions or signs constantly that he is indeed a dog (inu). He is not present after the first coup attempt. Meat Shop Dog A gray bull-dog who joins Trotsky's rebellion, but is shot to death when he, Trotsky, and other animals plot an uprising within the dog prison. Trotsky witnesses in horror that the guards proceed to decapitate and turn this dog's body into feed as well. Dog Yakuza A clan of traditionally-dressed dogs who initially welcome Trotsky into the group, but hunger for his blood after their clash turns violent. This draws Trotsky back into the path of Keruke and about to be ambushed, until Junko comes to defend him. Junko (純子) A rebellious cat who gets in the way of Trotsky's attempted assassination. She is passionate with love, but just as much so when it comes to revenge for her being wronged. She is shown to head up a cat yakuza of her own, which includes Nyarome, and seeks her own revenge for the deaths of her comrades due to dogs. She and Trotsky are married after quickly falling in love with one another, but their relationship dissolves throughout due to Trotsky not liking Junko's sharp claws and teeth (and Junko hating his sharp teeth all the same). Nonetheless, when Trotsky is briefly back in his old home and being abused, she uses the opportunity to provide some assistance, but states that it's her preference to kill Trotsky with her own hands. By the end of the story, she comes back into Trotsky's life...only to reveal to him that she's now married to Stalin, who is planning his own uprising. Bull Another associate of Trotsky during his second revolution. As his name suggests, he is another bulldog, who winds up shot by a Stalin operative. Serialization * Separate Edition Shonen Magazine: January to September 1971 Reprints External Links Category:Manga Category:1970s works Category:Gag works Category:Works serialized in Separate Edition Shonen Magazine